From Cauliflower Ice Cream to Animal-Free Milk - These ANZ Forbes Asia 30 Under-30s Are Rebuilding the Future from the Bottom Up

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The Forbes Asia 30 Under-30s list just dropped, and guess what? The future of food, fibre, and function has a Southern Hemisphere accent. New Zealand and Australia aren’t just keeping up, they’re quietly producing some of the most exciting young founders on the planet. Not influencers. Not crypto bros. Actual scientists. Actual biotech founders. Actual climate-smart inventors.

Source: Forbes - Top Left Emily McIsaac, Right Mrinali Kumar, Bottom Left William Murrell and Ben Scales, Bottom Right  Connor Balfany

From animal cells without the animal to cauliflower masquerading as dessert and flax fibre being weaponised into snowboards, these next-gen entrepreneurs are proving real innovation starts in the lab, not the boardroom.

Let’s start with the women rewriting the rules of food and flavour.

Emily McIsaac, 26, co-founder of Auckland’s Daisy Lab, is fermenting a future where dairy doesn’t need cows. Using precision fermentation, she’s turning microorganisms into milk proteins like whey, minus the moo, the methane, or the moral compromise. Daisy Lab has already caught the attention of VC heavyweights like Icehouse Ventures and Outset Ventures. Emily holds both a bachelor's and master’s in genetics from Massey University, but more than that, she’s part of a growing biotech wave led by women who are actually making the new food system and not just tweeting about it.

Then there’s Mrinali Kumar, also 26, who stared down the dairy aisle and decided cauliflower had potential beyond stir-fry. She co-founded EatKinda, a frozen dessert brand using cauliflower to create vegan ice cream that’s kinder to the planet (and shockingly delicious). What began during her food tech studies at Massey has turned into a legit retail success story: her pints now sit in 120 Woolworths freezers across New Zealand, backed by Massey Ventures and Better Bite.

This isn’t Girl Math. This is Pure Science Math - new equations for a broken system.

Across the ditch, Connor Balfany, 29, is leading the green protein charge with The Leaf Protein Co. in Melbourne. His team extracts high-functioning protein from leaf tissues, turning overlooked greens into nutritious powders that go straight into drinks and supplements. No need for peas or fake meats — just clean plant tech and a vision to use the entire plant. Backed by LaunchVic and Loyal VC, Connor is proving that there’s protein in every leaf if you’ve got the science to find it.

And let’s not forget the KiwiFibre guys – William Murrell and Ben Scales, Christchurch-based college mates who’ve turned harakeke (NZ’s native flax) into a next-gen alternative to carbon fibre and fibreglass. They’re already seeing their flax-based tech used in snowboards and race cars — and they've raised nearly NZ$5 million doing it. Imagine that: a startup rooted in Māori plant wisdom that’s competing with petroleum-derived materials on a global performance stage.

Together, these founders represent the best of what’s coming.They’re not waiting for permission. They’re not playing it safe. They’re rewriting the rule book with science, startups, and a deep respect for the planet. Forbes just gave them a nod, but the real story is what they’re building - sustainable systems, regenerative solutions, and food that feels like the future.

So yeah, if you're still trying to find purpose or get your head around the climate economy, take notes. The 2025 Under 30 list isn't about hype — it’s about function, flavour, and fibre.

TREND SIGNAL: Forget food as we know it. This crew is turning plants into ice cream, microbes into milk, and flax into carbon-fibre killers. It’s not a fad. It’s a recalibration. Expect more founder-led bioinnovation across New Zealand and Australia as young minds push back against planetary limits and investors finally start listening.

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